- 29 per cent are helping community members learn and develop their skills and 17 per cent are contributing to mission-oriented projects
- The report added that 59 per cent of respondents believe open source is inclusive to people of all demographics, experience levels, and locations
While overall participation in open source was down in 2020, 63 per cent of those who actively participated reported an increase in their activity as per a DigitalOcean Survey. It added that According to the respondents, the increase can be attributed to three factors. They said that 29 per cent had “more free time”28 per cent wanted to “use the time to learn” and 15 per cent were “adamant about contributing to a cause they cared about”
Of the more than 9,500 developers surveyed, the report focused on the 4,440 responses of those who actively participated in open source throughout 2020. The survey revealed the role that open source played in the lives of its members in what was a year unlike any other and explored whether the core tenets of open source – “free” and “open” – still hold today.
Raman Sharma VP Product and Programs Marketing, DigitalOcean said, “There’s no denying that technology played a major role in 2020. However, what we found most inspiring was how the individuals and community behind the code rose to the occasion. Our survey showed that developers dug deeper into the open source community, participating more actively and contributing to the causes that mattered to them most. Many also questioned the traditions of the past in favor of a more ethically accountable and economically sound ecosystem. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for the community and its participants.”
Respondents reported an increased focus on mental health, inclusivity, networking to help others find new jobs, and mentoring to help others learn. 29 per cent are helping community members learn and develop their skills and 17 per cent are contributing to mission-oriented projects, such as ones focused on pandemic relief or social issues
Only 14 per cent of respondents currently are paid for their open source contributions
The report added 54 per cent of respondents feel that individuals should be paid for their work with open source. Only 14 per cent of respondents currently are paid for their open source contributions.
The report added, “Developers in different age ranges vary on whether individuals should be paid for their contributions to open source, with those between the ages of 18-25 being overly in favor (60 per cent), while only 34 per cent of those above 55 years of age agreed.
As per the report, about About half of respondents (47 per cent) think tech companies should fund the payment of open source contributions. A quarter thought project owners or individuals should pay.
Women, non-binary, or caregivers reported lower levels of inclusivity
The report added that 59 per cent of respondents believe open source is inclusive to people of all demographics, experience levels, and locations. Respondents who are women, non-binary, or caregivers reported lower levels of inclusivity.
62 per cent of men agree or strongly agree that the community is inclusive, while only 46 per cent of women and 42 per cent of non-binary respondents feeling that way. 54 per cent of caregivers agree or strongly agree that the community is inclusive versus 64 per cent of non-caregivers. While most individuals were against allowing restrictions for the use of open source code (47 per cent), more than half of respondents wanted to allow restrictions (34 per cent) or were undecided (19 per cent).
